TARANAKI RIFLE ASSOCIATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 247, 24 February 1911, Page 7

TARANAKI RIFLE ASSOCIATION

THE MEETING CONCLUDED. SERGEANT FRANK WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP. In ideal shooting weather the Taiannki Rifle Association concluded its annual meeting on the Rewa Rewa range, Waiwakaiho, yesterday. There wa-s hardly a breath of wind all day, with the result that the standard of the shooting was exceptionally high. "I have never seen such good and consistently high scores," said Lieut-Colonel Okey, and as an ex-champion his opinion is sound. As a proof that the ColoßeTe hand and eye have not lost their cunning, it may be stated that he lay down at the 500 yards mound and brought up Ave conecutive bulls-eyes, an inner, and finished up with another bull. Colonel Ellis was again in charge of the firing party, and kept the business going briskly, with the result that those competitors who wished to catch the afternoon trains were enabled to do so, and the meeting was concluded in good time. Lieutenant' Boon was the sole range officer for the | day, and gave general satisfaction in bis multifarious duties. But the hairdestworked of all, whether competitor' or official, were the two secretaries, Private T. King and Lieutenant Turner. Truth to tell, these gentlemen had hardly a minute to call their own, and that they Were able to carry out the work throughout the two day's clothed with enviable urbanity and unswerving courtesy, and without a suspicion of mistake amid the formidable array of facts and figures, speaks louder than words of their worth to the association.

The council was not called upon to decide any very- serious infringements of th'e rules by competitors, the two or three protests entered being dismissed promptly and without reflection upon the persons concerned. The meeting was a pronounced; success, and the experience gained will no doubt assist the association to make up little deficiencies in the general elaboration of the next gathering. The champion belt went to Sergeant Frank, of the Nelson Rides, who shot consistently throughout the meeting. His score was 337, compared to Lieutenant Marett's 353 last year, but this year there were seven shots less. The belt was won by Captain J. Potter (Auckland) in 1909. The Teams' Match fell to the Taranaki Rifles (No. 1 team) with the splendid score of 494—ten points better than what \won the Waihi Rooster at Auckland recently. Last year the match was won by •the taranaki Guards with 468, a .score, which, it will be seen, was beaten this year by no less than six out of the nine teams competing.

Following is the result of yesterday's proceedings:— STRATFORD MATCH, of 800 yds and 900 yds; seven shots at each range. Twenty-eight prizes, ten of which are for tyros. First prize, Mr. J. B. Hine's (M.P. for Stratford) donation of £2 2s. 800 900 Priv. J. Riddles, £2 2s .... 34 35 69 Rfm. A. H.Guy, £1 10s .. 35 32 67 Rfm. Shepherd, £1 5s .... 33 33 60 Rfm. C. Speck, £1 34 32 66 Sergt. Cody, £1 31 34 05 The following took las each:—Rfm.! Harrison, 33-32-65; Priv. F. J. Hill, 31-33-64; Corp. Bruce, 32-32-64; Priv. Arnold, 32-32-64; Rfm. Jenkins, 33-31-64. The following took 10s each:—Priv. P. Palmer, 30-33-63; Priv. G. Blanchard, 31-32-63; Sergt. W. Oliver, 32-31-63; Lieut. Marett, 33-30-03; Rfm. R. A. Baker, 34-29-63; Priv. Short, 3.1-28-63; Lieut. Willis, 31-31-02; Rfm. A. E. Speck, 33-29-02. TYROS. The following took 10s each:—Rfm. Cooper. 33-27-60; Rfm. Rtockloy, 33-26-59; (.'apt. Fletcher, 33-20-59; Rfm. Hancock. 30-28-58; Rfm. Betts 30-2S-58; Priv. T. Johnson, 31-27-58. The following took 55 each:—Rfm. Brocklebank, 30-20-50; Priv. Prestnev, 33-22-55; Rfm. dollop, 34-21-55; Priv. Sadler, 24-29-53. PATE A MATCH, of 1000 yds; -ten shots. Twenty-eight prizes," of which ten are for tyros. First prize, Mr. G. V. Pearce's (M.P. for Patea) donation of £2 2s. Col.-Sergt. Hartncll, £2 2s 42 Sergt. Hopewell, £ I 10s 42 Rfm. Shepherd, £1 5s 42 Rfm. Sangster, £1 41 Sergt. Southam, £1 41 Lieut. Beadle, 15s 40 Priv. Short, 15s *' Priv. Humphries, 15s 4° Priv. T. Marett. 15s 40 Rfm. Gollop, las 40 Sergt. Oliver, 10s 4(1 Rfm. Harrison. 10s 40 I Rfm. A. E. Speck, 10s 411 Sergt, Frank, 10s 3il Rfra. Hart, 10s 3!! Priv. Gilshuan, 10s 3i! Rfm. Jenkins, 10s 3f Rfm. Gyde, 10s 3£

TYROS. The following took Ills each: Rfm. Betts 38, Priv. Johnson 37, Rfm. Hnncock 30, Capt. Fletcher 34, Sergt. Arnold 33. The following took ss:—Priv. Sadlei 30, Bfm. Ferguson 20, Rfm. Suntluggcv 27, Corp. Reid 20, Rfm. Cooper 24. GRAND AGGREGATE, the highest six scorers in the Waitara. Inglewood, New Plyraoutli, Stratford, and Patea matches. Scrgt. Frank (Nelson Rifles), Champion Belt (presented by Priv. • T. King), gold medal. .CI (from the Association), and £1 (from Mr. C. 11. Speck) 33? Rfm. Shepherd (Rahotu It.C), silver medal and £1 10s 330 Priv. Short (Taranaki Guards), £1 33-1 Sergt, Hopewell (Eltham Rilles), 10s 331 Corp. Brnce (Taranaki Guards), 10s 32!) Rfm. A. E. Speck (Stratford R.C.), : 10s R27 Priv. Arnold (Taranaki Rilles), 10s 327 Col.Sergt. Tlartnell (Taranaki Guards) and Priv. Riddlcs(Taranaki Guards) were next with 320. Kyles (l)iuinevirke Hilles) and Priv. Chappcll (Waitara Rifles) followed with 324; and Rfm. V. Speck (Stratford R.C.) and Lieut. Wills (Taranaki Rilles) next witli 323. TIIK CIIAMPIOX. | Sergt. 11. Frank, the champion of the I Taranaki Rifle Association meeting, is | twei ty-nine years of age, and hails from Nelson. lie'has done a good deal of shorting in the twelve years he has been volunteering. His latest previous sucI cess was on Saturday last, when he vis-. \ ited Feilding, and won (he belt with an ' average of 32, besides winning the Extra Match (which did not count for the bell) with the possible. Trcntham he knows well, having competed there for the last five years, in four of which lie was in the first fifty for the championship, lie is going again, too, after the Greytown i meetiin,' next week. Last year Sergt. , Frank'won the Xelson Match at Trcii- • lliam with !>!> out of a possible 10(1. and was one of the 1) iniou representatives ii'iaiiHi Australia. (In the first day of the 'i'aianaki meeting Ser-.;. i ; ;v,:'.dinppi'd on!v tui points in ISii. I.>-: vear. lie Males, lie |,rae'i-e,l a-siduan-ly ihive iNin-. a m-l;, iiriiv. ebi'iit S.I -'i.e.

j THE IRUNNER-UP. 'Rifleman ShepHierd, of the Rahotu Rifle Club, was only a point behind the winner, and was, perhaps, the most successful shot on the ground, as yesterday (unlike the champion, who fell away slightly)) :he continued in a winning vein. Mr. Shepherd modestly disclaims any pretenI sions to be considered a champion. "Oh no," ho replied when approached by a News reporter, "I have not aspired to champion honors at Trentham. 1 don't follow up these meetings. But I have | done a lot of company shooting in my .time, .anil :ha,v.e been fairly successful, 'l hold a medal, 1890-1900, won when 1 was in the Native Company, No. 1, at Auckland, so that is some time ago. Yes, I joined the Natives in Christchurch after that, and was color-sergeant for some, time before I retired and dropped the ride with the uniform. On coming up here five years ago I took up the game again. It's not bad sport at all;'' he concluded.

TEAMS MATCH, open to teams of five men from any volunteer company or defence rifle club; seven shots at 200 yds, 500 yds and 000 yds. First prize £5, -seoofld £3, third £l.ss. TARANAKI RIFLES, NO. 1.

GOVERNMENT DISTINCT MATCH; open, to all-comers resident within the provincial district of Tarnnaki; seyßji shots at 200 yds and 500 yds. •■■■" ' 200 500 yds.vds.Tl. Corp. Dewar, £2 35 '34 C 9 Rfm. Colmer, £1 10s- 33 34 67 Lieut. Willis, £1 31 35 00 Priv. Rlanchett, £1 32 34 60 . The following took los each:—Priv. Blaiiehiird 00, Rfm. Shepherd 06, Lieut. Beadle C«, Sergt. Southam 06. The following took 10s each:—Priv. Riddles 00, Rfm. Cox 04, Priv. Short 04, Sergt. .Crutch 04, -Col.-Sergt. HartnelV 04, Priv. Arnold 04. The following took 7s fid each:—Sergt. Hopewell 04, Sergt. Cody 04, Rfm. Hart 04. Prh\ Humphries 04, Lieut. Marett 04, Rfm. Baker 03. The following tookos each:—Priv. Hill 03, Corp. Reid 03, Sergt. Olliver 03, Sergt. Carey 03, Priv. .lohnson 02, Sergt. Gilshnan 02, Sergt. Hollard 02, Priv. Thomas 02. Rfm, Harrison took 3s with a score of .02,

200 500 600 Tl. lieul . Willis 34 34 33 101 Lien . Marett 32 83 32 9.7 Priv. 34 35 31 100 Sergt Blanchett .32 33 34 99 Priv. 32 31 34 97 104 106 104 494 ' rARAXAKJ GUARDS, NO . 1. CoL-Sergt Hartnell .. 33 35 34 102 32 31 32 95 Cor]). 33 34 34 101 Priv. Short 32 30 29 91 Priv. 33 32 33 98 1G3 102 102 487 STRATFORD RIFLE CLUB, NO. 1. Rfm. VV. Thorpe 31 32 28 91 Rfm. C. Jackson 32 33 32 97 Rfm 31 35 31 97 Rfm. A. Speck 34 34 34 102 Rfm. C. Speck 33 33 32 98 101 107 157 485 RAHOTU RIFLE OLUI . Rfm. J. A. Colincr .. 31 32 32 95 Rfm. Shepherd 33 34 33 100 Rfm. Guy 32 33 33 98 Rfm. A. Baker 31 32 27 90 Rfm. L. Harrison 33 35 33 101 100 106 158 484 rARANAlvJ RIFLES, NO 2. Capt. 31 30 29 90 Sergt Southam 32 33 34 99 Corp Reid 35 33 26 94 Corp. 34 28 32 94 Priv. 32 33 30 95 164 157 151 472 ' rARANAKI GUARDS, NO . 2. Lieul . Beadle 32 33 26 91 Sergt 35 32 29 96 Priv. 29 35 32 96 Priv. 33 34 20 93 Priv. Hill 32 29 34 95 161 103 147 471 STRATFORD RIFLE CLUB, NO. 5 Rfm. A. Ferguson 28 29 29 80 Rfm. F. Gollop , 27 32 29 88 Rfm. R. Cox 32 30' 32 94 Rfm. A. E. Wickham 29 32 26 87 Rfm. Brocklebank 28 33 29 80 .'■■ 144 150 145, 44!» POHOKURA RIFLE CLUB. Rfm. R, Bush 30 26 29 85 Rfm. J. Cooper 20 25 20 80 Rfm. J. McDonald .. 20 27 21 74 Rfm. V. Sandagger .. 29 22 25 70 Rfm. S. Stockley 31 28 29 88 145 128 130 403 OKATO RIFLE CLUB. Rfm. G, G. Grover .. 35 31 29 95 Rfm. A. Thomas 32 30 28 90 Rfm. L. S. Hart .... 30 33 33 90 Rfm. F. Bourke 31 30 17 78 Rfm. F, Jenkins 33 32 25 90 101 150 132 389